Congenital heart disease

Summary

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect, although still relatively rare.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): facts about congenital heart defects
Screening for congenital heart disease includes ultrasonography in the second trimester of pregnancy and postpartum clinical exam; however, detection rates are low.
[1]Wren C, Richmond S, Donaldson L. Presentation of congenital heart disease in infancy: implications for routine examination. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 1999 Jan;80(1):F49-53.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1720871/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10325813?tool=bestpractice.com
[2]Kardasevic M, Kardasevic A. The importance of heart murmur in the neonatal period and justification of echocardiographic review. Med Arch. 2014 Aug;68(4):282-4.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4240565/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25568554?tool=bestpractice.com
Early recognition of congenital heart disease is important because clinical presentation and deterioration may be sudden and some treatable defects may even cause death before diagnosis.
[1]Wren C, Richmond S, Donaldson L. Presentation of congenital heart disease in infancy: implications for routine examination. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 1999 Jan;80(1):F49-53.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1720871/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10325813?tool=bestpractice.com
The surgical and medical treatment of CHD has markedly improved over the last 50 years. Corrective surgery for intracardiac defects first began at the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota in the 1950s.
[3]Allen HD, Driscoll DJ, Feltes TF, et al. Moss and Adams' heart disease in infants, children, and adolescents. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins;xxv-vi.
It was the introduction of machines that perfused the vital organs while a surgeon carefully repaired a non-beating heart that revolutionized the field of corrective surgery. Survival well into adulthood is now expected for most babies born with CHD.

Disclosures

Dr Sachin Khambadkone would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Nathaniel W. Taggart and Dr Frank Cetta, the previous contributors to this topic. NWT and FC declare that they have no competing interests.